The flow rate of a hydraulic element (e.g., a pump) is a good indicator of a health of the hydraulic element. Conventionally, the flow rate of a hydraulic element has been measured using expensive sensors or flow measurement devices (e.g., flow meters). One such conventional apparatus for predicting malfunctioning of a pump is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,434,589, which relies on time per stroke of the pump measured by left and right sensors at the pump. However, these purely sensor based techniques and flow meters may be prone to errors over time (e.g., from sensor drift) and may need frequent replacement and/or calibration of the sensors.
Accordingly, there is a need to resolve these problems and other problems related to the conventional hydraulic element health and remaining useful life prediction techniques.